Detroit Pistons’ legend Rasheed Wallace compared Jalen Duren to Chris Webber last season, and most people rolled their eyes, but it turns out Sheed may have been onto something.
I admit that I was one of the people who didn’t really see it, as the two didn’t share much in common other than size, agility and strength.
Webber came into the league with a more polished offensive game that included elements that Duren’s did not have, namely the ability to face up, beat people off the dribble and make a 15-18 foot jumper.
Webber was also a decent 3-point shooter (at least for some of his career) who averaged over 20 points per game in nine straight seasons. At the time, it didn’t look like Duren would have the kind of handles, passing and shooting that made Webber elite at 6-foot-10.
But after the first month of this season, Sheed is starting to look smart, as Duren is honing his game and starting to look more like Chris Webber.
Jalen Duren becoming a more efficient Chris Webber
Rasheed Wallace made these comments late last season, when Duren was having a great stretch that has clearly carried over into this one.
But even Sheed couldn’t have seen this coming, as Duren has nearly doubled his scoring average and is doing it in myriad ways that don’t just involve dunking. Duren can still overpower most defenders and is a load in the paint, but he’s added a face-up dribble game to his offense that is changing his ceiling.
Not only is Duren quick and strong enough to blow past most centers, but it has also enabled him to get to the free-throw line at an elite clip, averaging over seven attempts per game, which has been a big part of his early surge.
Duren has even added a pull-up jumper to his game, and when you see a 6-foot-10, 250 lb. man draining jumpers, it’s hard not to think of Chris Webber, as that was what he was known for, especially later in his career.
Duren is currently averaging more rebounds than all but one season of Webber’s career, and is shooting 67 percent from the floor, far better than any season Webber ever had. You could argue that right now Duren is playing like a far more efficient Chris Webber, as Duren is getting his 20+ points a night on just 10 field goal attempts and has never been the focal point of the offense as Webber was.
These are exciting times for Pistons fans, as the team is rolling, and the young players are developing at a rapid pace, so both the present and future are bright in Detroit.